Carbon Trust Initiative Help Cut Energy Bills

Small firms are being urged to cut their energy costs by scrapping their old equipment and replacing it with more energy efficient kit, in a new campaign launched by the Carbon Trust.

Under the Big Business Refit initiative, expert advice and financial support is available to small and medium-sized businesses to help them make the switch to new, more efficient technology. According to the Trust, businesses can save up to £14,000 a year on average.

“Business owners are realising that for every month they ‘make do and mend’ with old inefficient equipment, they are wasting more cash on unnecessarily high energy bills,” said Carbon Trust chief executive, Tom Delay.

“With credit all but dried up elsewhere, the Big Business Refit breaks the deadlock by helping small businesses buy the equipment that will both slash their costs and often transform their businesses.”

To help firms invest in new equipment, financial support is available in the form of interest-free loans of between £3,000 and £400,000. UK companies with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than £42 million are eligible to apply, and loans are re-payable over a period of up to four years.

According to the Carbon Trust, the past six months has seen hundreds of small firms apply to the zero-interest loan scheme in order to buy more efficient equipment. The most popular new technology includes energy efficient lighting and lighting controls, and replacement air compressors used for powering pneumatic tools.

To find out more, go to www.carbontrust.co.uk or telephone 0800 085 2005. Small businesses can also benefit from free energy saving assessments and a tailored action plan for upgrading equipment.

Editor’s Picks

Advertise with us

is4profit is a leading resource for the UK’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. To find out about our advertising rates and opportunities contact our sales manager Jonathan Seymour: jonathan.seymour@theinternetworks.co.uk or (020) 72349421